


M is for Mini-Me

by FrankiValerie



Series: A-Z of Lad [10]
Category: Mass Effect Trilogy
Genre: AU, Kids, Orphan - Freeform, gender swap
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-06-12
Updated: 2017-06-12
Packaged: 2018-11-13 06:10:51
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,060
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11178717
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/FrankiValerie/pseuds/FrankiValerie
Summary: Pre ME2 timeline.  Fuck the 250 word count, it's bullshitLad is adorable and I loves his face.





	M is for Mini-Me

Why did he keep doing this? Every fucking time. Aria would call him or send him a comms message and no matter where in the galaxy he was, he’d get to her. He’d even broken out of prison once for her. But only once. The other times her messages hadn’t reached him and she’d used her own ways to get at him. Every time Lad flew to Aria’s side he wound up regretting it. There was always some grunt work to be done and she liked him to do it. Guess she got her rocks off knowing the most powerful human biotic would do whatever she wanted whenever she wanted. Same as everyone else, right?  

“Fucking idiot, Jack.” He muttered to himself as he docked at Omega and powered down his shuttle. On the way he’d tried convincing himself he was stopping for fuel and supplies and the message from Aria was a coincidence but really, he knew better.  

He sighed and nodded to the two Turian Aria usually sent to greet him with, though they learned a long time ago that 20 feet was a close enough distance to get their message across.. and this distance meant less chance they’d end up bleeding. Jack liked his space and hated crowds.  

He locked the shuttle behind him and moved to head straight to Afterlife when something moving amongst the crates caught his eye. He stared over for a moment, his paranoia curling his hands into fists. He turned slowly toward the crates and crept over, staring still at the space where he’d seen the movement. His biotics flickered over his fists as he drew closer… though they quickly died down when he heard the sob of a child. His expression relaxed, from the twist of paranoia to the softness of curiosity and pity. He took another small step forward and indeed found a small child curled amongst the crates, looking up at him through red, teary and terrified eyes.  

He looked around a moment. This end of the docks was generally quiet. That’s why he always stopped here. It was reserved for longer stays; people who had direct business with Aria or ‘business’ trips. There was no one around save the two turian guards Aria had sent to retrieve Jack. They had retreated to the exit and stood chatting while they waited. 

Jack turned his attention back to the child and crouched to his level, “... Hey there.” He kept his voice soft, tried relaxing his face but feared a kinder expression had been lost to him. The child was shaking. As Jack looked over his small, skinny body he saw grazed knees and elbows, dirt black hands and feet, fresh bruising and raw surgical scars. His jaw clenched as anger built in his chest; again he tried hiding it from the frightened child. 

Poor kid half starved. Jack ran his hands over the various pockets in his pants and smiled softly, pulling out one of his energy bars. He unwrapped it, broke off a small piece and passed the rest to the kid. “Here, kid, eat this. It’s good, see?” He popped his piece into his mouth and smiled as he chewed, “Take it.”  

The child looked between the food and Jack for a long moment before tentatively reaching to take it. Jack exhaled and lowered onto the floor, checking on Aria’s men once more. They were looking over now, and watching him.  

“My name’s Jack.” He finally said to the young boy who was now ravenously digging into the energy bar, “I don’t know what you’ve been through kid, but I know an experiment when I see one.” The boy looked up, and froze on Jack. He rolled up the sleeves of his jacket and showed the boy the scars and surgical marks which ran up his arms, “I was an experiment when I was your age. I can’t remember anything before the pain and the fear…” He lost himself to the memories for just a second and had to clear his throat and shake himself to continue. 

“I’m telling you this cus I wanna help you, kid. Get you cleaned up, fed, get you somewhere safe you can get some shut eye… and for that I need you to trust me when I say I know how scared you are.” 

The boy looked up at him, studying his eyes. Finally the hard expression of untrusting wavered and he scoffed the last of the energy bar. Jack nodded and moved to get up, offered the kid his hand, “... You good to walk?”  

* * *

 

“When I said I wanted someone taken care of, Jack, I didn’t mean one of Omega’s homeless children...” Aria looked over the boy in Jack’s arms with an easily recognisable disgust.  

Jack had grabbed one of his hooded sweatshirts from the back of his shuttle and given it to the boy to warm him up. The kid now clung to Jack’s side, shaking, the hood up and pulled around his head. Jack held him firmly, protectively, frowning at Aria, “And I’m here. Just picked up an extra. I can still do your job.”  

Aria tapped her foot and lay her arms across the back of her beloved couch, “Can you? Even with a distraction such as _that_?” she nodded to the child and Jack snarled.   

“You know I can, Aria.” he answered simply.  

She smirked slightly and paused, examining the sight before her before speaking again, “Lucky this job is simple, then. One target, be as messy as you like. I need to send a message. As usual, see Bray for your payment. Quarter now, the rest when it’s done.” She activated her omni-tool and tapped at the display, “I’m forwarding you the details… and the location of a safe house you may use for two nights. Take the boy with you when you leave.” She shut down her omni-tool interface and shooed him away with one hand, “One of my men will show you to the safehouse. Get that child cleaned up, he smells worse than the Vorcha.”   

He smiled slightly; she had put on that look of disgust again, not daring to smile back. She acted like the tough Pirate Queen of Omega but she had that little softness to her heart… same as he did, when starving and tortured kids were involved, it seemed. 


End file.
